M.2 to Sata set up.

[Gurky]

Hi all, 

 

I think this will fall under a question about storage! 

 

I have 2 or 3 mini PCs that I can't add drives internally to two have USB external drives all good and well but one I have a M.2 spot and a super easy way to run wires out of my questions what is the best way to power them? 

I mean as an example of the "Set up" below Easy enough to connect Sata to M.2 yes sweet but how would I power them? The regular is either MOLED to sata and see and some docks have a molex port on them! As seen in the other image! But what is the best way to get power to them from a Mini PC that already uses a power brick?

 

 

And I know I know a NAS or DAS with power is 100X better and I will almost 99% just order one, it's only for PLEX storage but the answer has been killing me for ages! And oddly enough this "Rough" way of doing it would help add one drive to a system. Linus also showed the M.2 to sata in a video the other night and I've been thinking of an answer since!

 

 

 

 

[OddOod]

When I built my DAS, I just used a PSU with a 24pin power jumper (I have several laying around thanks to SeaSonic, you can just use a wire to jump the green to a black and tape it), then scrounged up all the SATA power cables for that PSU.
 

[Average Nerd]

11 minutes ago, Gurky said:

yes sweet but how would I power them?

One way that I have seen a lot is using a standard ATX PSU with enough SATA power connectors and just wiring it up to start upon flipping the switch on the back.

[OddOod]

Also, not sure how much PCIE is left on your miniPCs, but you could just grab an LSI HBA and use breakout cables which I also did for the controller of my DAS

[Gurky]

6 minutes ago, OddOod said:

When I built my DAS, I just used a PSU with a 24pin power jumper (I have several laying around thanks to SeaSonic, you can just use a wire to jump the green to a black and tape it), then scrounged up all the SATA power cables for that PSU.
 

I do have two spare power supplies and a Seasonic jumper! It's odd doing it cheap but also trying to avoid having a PSU in the limited space! But I will take a look! 

[Gurky]

6 minutes ago, OddOod said:

Also, not sure how much PCIE is left on your miniPCs, but you could just grab an LSI HBA and use breakout cables which I also did for the controller of my DAS

That is a good shout I didn't think of but 0 it's a little HP and Dell Micrso ones so no PCIE slots

[OddOod]

I've really never seen a PC with no PCIE so that surprises me.

[Gurky]

Its' this:https://www.parkytowers.me.uk/thin/hp/t630/

[Average Nerd]

44 minutes ago, Gurky said:

Its' this:https://www.parkytowers.me.uk/thin/hp/t630/

The M.2 slots are PCIe connectors, there are breakout solutionsfor those (OCuLink for example, which is basically a PCIe x4 link over a wire).

[Gurky]

4 hours ago, Average Nerd said:

The M.2 slots are PCIe connectors, there are breakout solutionsfor those (OCuLink for example, which is basically a PCIe x4 link over a wire).

Yes sorru I get what you mean now! I had a x8 slot in mind and what could deliver enough power? 

[Blue4130]

1 hour ago, Gurky said:

Yes sorru I get what you mean now! I had a x8 slot in mind and what could deliver enough power? 

An m/2 slot? No, that is not going to power SATA drives.

 

How many drives are you using? What is the power supply in the mini pc? If it's the stock brick, then the system takes up roughly half of that under load leaving you about 30w. BUT there is no convinient way to get power from the brick or PC to the drives. You are really only left with a seperate PSU for the drives. It doesn't have to be an atx power supply, you can use a power brick, but you will need to get "creative" with adapters. (barrel jack to molex)

[Average Nerd]

8 hours ago, Gurky said:

what could deliver enough power? 

A ATX power supply would obviously be a good option, since it will alteady have some SATA power connectors, but any power supply that provides both 5V and 12V can in theory power harddrives.